


Love 101, An Introductory Course

by Murf1307



Series: French Vanilla and Haunted Houses [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Birth of a Nation, DW Griffith is an Asshole, Gen, Intolerance (movie), M/M, Not Quite Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-05
Updated: 2012-10-05
Packaged: 2017-11-15 16:42:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/529384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Murf1307/pseuds/Murf1307
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ed is the TA in Corbett's media studies class.  Corbett is the only student who ever shows up to the extra-credit screenings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love 101, An Introductory Course

**Author's Note:**

> Marked Complete because I don't know if there's going to be more of this 'verse.
> 
> Also, this is the fic for Prompt #1, "Introductions"

Most days, Ed's not even sure why he gives the extra-credit screenings.  It's not like they've got any media studies or film majors in these classes, so no one ever comes.  He could offer all the free pizza and extra credit in the world, but he's pretty sure nobody ever wants to view _Birth of a Nation_ and _Intolerance_ in one screening.

Hell, most semesters, _he_ doesn't last that particular double feature.

(There's only so much bigotry and grossness you can take in one sitting, and usually he stops caring about fifteen minutes into _Intolerance_ )

But tonight is apparently going to be different, because this slender freshman shows up, lingering awkwardly in the door.  He's got a slim messenger bag, striped polo, and a cup of coffee, and Ed immediately recognizes him as Alan J. Corbett, theatre major.

"Hey, um," he says.  "I'm not late, am I?"

Ed smiles, stupid-happy to see someone, anybody.  "No, you're fine.  You're actually -- you're the first person who's ever shown up to one of these things."

"Really?"

"Yeah.  Um, Alan, right?"

"I prefer Corbett," he says, finally coming in.  He puts his bag down on the table along the wall, and lingers, looking out at the thirty-something desks like he doesn't know where to sit down.

Ed is still grinning, and puts the DVD into the computer.  "So, uh, pizza.  How do you like yours?"

"You don't have to -- it's just me..." Corbett says.

"Hey, I promised pizza and extra credit.  I refuse to shaft you on either."  Ed hits play and plops down in a chair in the middle of the room, turning his smile to Corbett.  "C'mon."

"...Mushroom?"  Corbett joins him, but looks nervous.

"Okay.  Half-mushroom, half-sausage it is."  Ed flicks open his phone and hits the speed dial for the local pizza joint.  "Hey, Sam!  Can I get a half-mushroom, half-sausage large?"

"You hate mushrooms."  Sam sounds puzzled.

"And a 2-liter bottle of..." he trailed off, looking over at Corbett.

Corbett arches an eyebrow.  "Diet?"

"Diet," Ed repeats to Sam. 

Sam huffs testily.  "You're totally not having a student over, are you?"

"Bring the pizza to Kripke, Gamble Hall.  I'll see you then."  Ed wishes his acquaintances had more faith in his teaching abilities.  Just because he's socially awkward and no one comes to his extra credit sessions doesn't mean he sucks as a teacher.

Corbett's watching the movie -- he'd decided to start with _Birth of a Nation,_ because it's all uphill from there -- and still looks nervous.

Ed doesn't really watch the movie, because he's seen it enough times that he can practically quote the historical footnotes on the intertitle cards, and he's still reveling in the fact that someone actually showed up, and actually seems interested in the subject matter.

About twenty minutes later, there's the sound of someone clearing his throat in the doorway.  Ed stands up and meets Sam by the door.

Sam's in the law program here, paying for it with a trust fund and some money from being everyone's favorite at the local pizza joint.  He's not usually as drawn and stressed as he looks right now, looming in the hallway.

"Looks like I was wrong," Sam concedes.

Ed nods.  "Dude, what's wrong?"

"Ruby's using again."  Ruby is Sam's on-again, off-again girlfriend, and she has a drug problem.  "Dean's freaking out over his plan to propose to Cas during Thanksgiving break, and he keeps calling at all hours of the day and night."

"Damn," Ed murmurs.  "Look, if you need anything, just call."

Sam smiles.  "Yeah.  Thanks.  Gabe said the same thing, but..."

"Yeah."  Ed nods.

Sam nods back, and turns to go.  Ed slips him a twenty instead of the usual five, and really, can anyone blame him?  Sam's a great guy, and deserves better than he's got.

Ed brings the pizza back into the room, and they're up to the part where the Two Chums lay dying on a Civil War battlefield, reaching for each other.  Ed always gets a little sad over that scene -- that scene and the death of Pet Sister are the only parts of the movie that really make him feel anything but gross.

"Pizza," he says quietly, putting it down on the table, next to Corbett's bag.

Corbett looks over at him, and looks a little distraught.  "That's not fair," he says.  "They were friends -- they -- that's not fair."

Ed puts his hands on the table, leaning back against it.  "Griffith was into the whole 'War is Hell' thing."

"Clearly."  Corbett gets up, not looking at the screen.  He comes over to the table and gets a slice from the mushroom half, still looking upset.  "That doesn't make it okay."

"Nothing about this movie is okay.  It's important to film history, but I hate having to show it."

Corbett shrugs, and Ed turns away to get his own slice as the movie plays on.

Ed's still more watching Corbett than the movie.  He never gets to see other people's reactions to this one, and Corbett is fascinating to watch.  Ed's building his career on analyzing things like facial expressions.  Corbett has one of the most expressive faces he's ever seen.

Eventually, the man in blackface starts following Pet Sister, and Corbett lets out a moue of pain.

"This is the part where it goes from gross to Really Fucking Racist and Gross," Ed murmurs, gently knocking his elbow against Corbett's.  "Sorry."

Corbett looks at him briefly.  "No, I -- it's not your fault."

"Still," Ed says.  "If this wasn't a revolutionary film, I wouldn't be showing it, because the ick factor is higher than a _Saw_ movie."

Corbett laughs, a little shaky.  "I wouldn't put it --"

And onscreen, Pet Sister falls off the cliff.  Corbett shakes his head.  "No.  No.  This isn't -- that -- _no._ "

"Unfortunately, yes."  Ed moves a little closer.  "It only gets worse from here."

"Thanks for warning me," Corbett murmurs.

The rest of the movie is a combination of offended noises and unhappy interjections from Corbett, and Ed watching Corbett.

When it's over, Corbett has his arms crossed over his chest, and Ed is shrugging and offering, "If you want to stop here, skip _Intolerance_ \--"

Corbett glowers at him.  "Is it as bad as this?"

"It's badly told, but not nearly as offensive.  And the set is one of the biggest ever built.  But it's like three hours long and kind of boring."

Corbett shrugs, posture relaxing a little.  "We could try it."

"Okay," Ed says, smiling to himself as he turns away.  Despite how annoyed Corbett is (Ed was just as annoyed and grossed out the first few times he watched _Birth of a Nation),_ Corbett wants to stay for more.

He puts on _Intolerance_ and settles in for three hours.

The first time Lillian Gish appears onscreen as the Virgin Mary, Corbett bursts out laughing.  " _Seriously?"_

Ed grins.  "Seriously."

They spend the next three hours heckling the movie and laughing.  Ed is hysterical well before the end, and when it ends, it does _not_ feel at all like three hours have passed.

"Dude, that was the most fun I have _ever_ had watching this movie," he says, wiping his eyes.

Corbett is grinning at him.  "I'm glad."

Ed can't help but grin back.  "So, that was your introduction to DW Griffith and silent film.  What do you think?"

"I liked _Intolerance_ more."

"Had a feeling."  Ed can't stop smiling.

Corbett finally stands, checking his phone for the time.  "Holy...it's one a.m."

"Oh, _shit._   I have papers to grade."  Ed twists his mouth.  "And a class to teach.  Not cool."

"Sorry," Corbett mumbles, a guilty flush suffusing his face. 

Ed makes a dismissive gesture.  "No, seriously, it's not your fault.  I wasn't actually expecting anyone to show up -- if you hadn't, I probably would've shut off _Intolerance_ fifteen minutes in.  And this?  This was _awesome._ "

Corbett smiles again.  "I'm glad."

"You coming on Thursday?  It's Kubrick -- with bonus creepy, Bad Touch-y uncle and niece."

Corbett's eyebrows rise on his face.  "With a description like that?  Wouldn't miss it for the world."

As he leaves, Ed actually honestly believes him, and it's one of the best feelings in the world.


End file.
